R56 Cooper S - Ditching the Runflats on R112s

[PrancingHorses]

Picked up a MCS (2011) R56 the car came on a brand new set of run flats running R112 rims - the ride quality is borderline dangerous - the car bounces around everywhere! Is this because the tyres are still new or is that a characteristic of the RFTs?

Has anyone changed to normal tyres and if so what did you go for? Would it be a like for like swap in terms of tyre sizes to the non run flats? Thanks

[df76]

PrancingHorses said:

Picked up a MCS (2011) R56 the car came on a brand new set of run flats running R112 rims - the ride quality is borderline dangerous - the car bounces around everywhere! Is this because the tyres are still new or is that a characteristic of the RFTs?

Has anyone changed to normal tyres and if so what did you go for? Would it be a like for like swap in terms of tyre sizes to the non run flats? Thanks

Good timing. I bought a 2010 R56 on Sunday, runflats all round and very worn on the back. Horrific. In the wet yesterday they were plain dangerous (polar opposite to the Rainsports on my last car). Ride quality was horrendous and tramlining all over the place. Earlier today I fitted normal Yokos in 215/45/17 size (Advan Sport v105s - £80 each), what a difference. It's still "firm" but the crashing has completely gone and it's all much more composed (it's never going to be a limo though).

[PrancingHorses]

df76 said:

PrancingHorses said:

Picked up a MCS (2011) R56 the car came on a brand new set of run flats running R112 rims - the ride quality is borderline dangerous - the car bounces around everywhere! Is this because the tyres are still new or is that a characteristic of the RFTs?

Has anyone changed to normal tyres and if so what did you go for? Would it be a like for like swap in terms of tyre sizes to the non run flats? Thanks

Good timing. I bought a 2010 R56 on Sunday, runflats all round and very worn on the back. Horrific. In the wet yesterday they were plain dangerous (polar opposite to the Rainsports on my last car). Ride quality was horrendous and tramlining all over the place. Earlier today I fitted normal Yokos in 215/45/17 size (Advan Sport v105s - £80 each), what a difference. It's still "firm" but the crashing has completely gone and it's all much more composed (it's never going to be a limo though).

Thanks the standard tyre size is 205/45/17 so what made you go with 215's? Was this advised or something you tried yourself?

[df76]

PrancingHorses said:

Thanks the standard tyre size is 205/45/17 so what made you go with 215's? Was this advised or something you tried yourself?

There's plenty of discussion in various forums. For me they offer a small amount of extra rim protection, slightly higher tyre wall (improve comfort, but minimal) and they were about £20 a tyre cheaper. No significant negatives.

[PrancingHorses]

df76 said:

PrancingHorses said:

Thanks the standard tyre size is 205/45/17 so what made you go with 215's? Was this advised or something you tried yourself?

There's plenty of discussion in various forums. For me they offer a small amount of extra rim protection, slightly higher tyre wall (improve comfort, but minimal) and they were about £20 a tyre cheaper. No significant negatives.

Cheers - what about insurance - you are now on non standard tyres!?

[df76]

PrancingHorses said:

Cheers - what about insurance - you are now on non standard tyres!?

You'd need to ask your insurance company.

[Maracus]

df76 said:

PrancingHorses said:

Cheers - what about insurance - you are now on non standard tyres!?

You'd need to ask your insurance company.

Why? As long as they are the correct loading.

Changed our Dunlop RFTs last year for Michelin PS3. Better ride quality, but the Dunlops were definitely not 'dangerous' even though they were down to 2ish mm!

Edited by Maracus on Wednesday 22 March 17:23

[df76]

Maracus said:

Why? As long as they are the correct loading.

I've heard some are funny about it. I've had no problems ever, but no harm checking..

[Maracus]

df76 said:

Maracus said:

Why? As long as they are the correct loading.

I've heard some are funny about it. I've had no problems ever, but no harm checking..

I haven't. The only benefit RFTs have is their ability to drive on 'flat' for a bit. As long as the sidewalls haven't gone of course.

[CarsOrBikes]

Always worth checking with insurance as they like to worm out of stuff, only if it worries you. The 215/45 is better suited to the R53 or R56 and it certainly helps the few mph discrepancy on the earlier car, changing from rft on mine made a night and day difference, but then I used Federal RSR595's haha, delicate in the wet sometimes, but funny in the dry in comparison. Speedo more accurate, looks better in the arches too.

[bazza white]

I hated the mini on run flats. Fine on a perfectly smooth road but BMW forgot that the roads are far from perfect. A slight bump on a bend and you would bounce into the oncoming lane.


I changed my runflats to Avon zv7's. Not to expensive but not budget. It's like night and day and made the mini enjoyable.

That concrete section of the m25 is still a horrible drive in the mini though, it's like driving with a flat tyre.

[CO2000]

I went 215 40 and they are really good even on rough roads along with the + suspension option (R53) I think its the best compromise I have had for handling v comfort

[PrancingHorses]

Thanks so seems like everyone has there own preferred option for non run flats:

205/45/17
215/40/17
215/45/17

Would be interesting to know the rim style you are running - mine are R112 JCW wheels - thanks

[CarsOrBikes]

My OE wheels were Web Design, but now on new genuine R112's which was to go over the bigger JCW Brembo brakes, but using GP2 now anyway, getting a second set for different tyres next week, and selling the Web's as they'll no longer fit when the brakes are finished.

[SlimJim16v]

Has anyone tried the new Bridgstone DriveGuard run flats? They have many benefits over a std RFT, but most important, they have a comfortable ride.

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Bridgestone-D...

[tvralfagtv6]

All I can say Is I have an R56 MCS which I now love, however, when I bought it, it had Dunlop runflats which are great grippy tyres but I agree it was deeply upset by bumps mid corner and the car would have tendency to tramline all over the shop. I moved to Rainsport 3's non RFT and the ride and handling is a hell of a lot more "grown up" and enjoyable. We then bought another Mini a clubman which already had rainsport 3s installed so great minds and all that. So I am sure other tyre preferences will work on the mini, but personally the thump crash and sideways hopping of runflats under power was leaving me to question why did they ever fit these???

[SlimJim16v]

I actually had the supension on ours checked for problems the ride is so bad. I think we'll be fitting normal tyres soon.

Update on the Bridgestone DriveGuards - reading reviews on Tire Rack, it seems there are sidewall issues, enough for me to give up on RFTs.

[mon the fish]

We've just bought a 2013 Cooper S, and the ride is that hard I had to check it wasn't on runflats. It doesn't bear thinking about what it would be like with RFTs!